Product Description

Erin's new business as a wedding planner is running at full speed and her empty nest years are full of promise when she receives a call that puts everything on hold: her estranged father has had a stroke. The twinkle is fading from Jack O'Riley's Irish eyes and his calloused second wife leaves, making it clear this is not what she signed up for.Suddenly Erin's visit to her father's cottage by the sea is extended indefinitely. At first the task before her is as daunting as the wild Oregon coast that has become her unwanted second home. Yet in the many hours she spends beside her ailing father, Erin finds a treasure hidden in the darkness. She reaches out and, at long last, receives the gift of healing.

Publisher's Description

A daughter’s gift of time, a father’s silent wish.

Erin Bryce and her best friend, Sharlene, count the day they start their wedding planning business as a very happy day. So much so that they name their company The Happiest Day to reflect the fulfillment of their long-held dream as well as their clients’ longing for a wedding celebration to match the exhilaration of being in love. As a bonus, the two women utilize their business to help Erin’s son Jordan and his fiancée, Sierra, plan a grand wedding.

But the two friends aren’t prepared for the cloud moving in to cover the sunny, successful start of their business. Erin’s father, who lives in a small coastal Oregon community with his brusque, downright odd second wife, Delores, develops a medical problem that puts him in the hospital. Erin responds by rushing from Southern California to her father’s—and oh, yeah, Delores’s—cottage by the sea.

What greets Erin when she arrives sends her tumbling down a bewildering path to a different kind of happiest day. Her journey tosses her through highs and lows of hurt and healing, betrayal and renewal, wrong assumptions righted, and the brightest future one could ever hope for. All just around the corner, at the cottage by the sea.

Author Bio

Robin Jones Gunn is the author of more than seventy novels, which have sold more than 4 million copies worldwide, including three Christy Award winners and a Gold Medallion Award finalist.

ChristianBookPreviews.com

In Cottage by the Sea by Robin Jones Gunn, the main character, Erin Bryce, has had one dream: to start a wedding planning business. With her best friend, she creates "The Happiest Day" in honor of their clients' longing for this unity. However, things take a sharp turn downward when Erin receives a call informing her of her father's stroke. After her decision to take care of her father in his Oregon cottage, Erin is forced to reevaluate many areas of her life, as well as her definition of "the happiest day."

Throughout this book, Gunn juxtaposes relationships to accent ideas of forgiveness, love, and the beginnings and ends of family ties. As a character, Erin gets a chance to do what many wish they had a chance to do: say goodbye. The pain that surrounds a dying loved one adds to the emotional strength of the book, and when Erin is forced to make a decision between staying with her dad or pursuing her dreams, Gunn brings a whole new level to Erin's life verse, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10).

Overall, I would recommend this book. Gunn has created wonderful characters and a relatable plot, and she has painted it all into beautiful scenery in the cottage by the sea. My only criticism is that the book moved a little slowly in some points with excess back story, but for the most part, I was completely drawn into this book. - Ronni Meier, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

Publisher's Weekly

Sierra Jensen, from Gunns series of young adult novels (and the companion Christy Miller series), makes a cameo as the new daughter-in-law of Erin Bryce, who has just started a California wedding-planning business with her best friend Sharlene. Erins best-laid plans are interrupted, however, when her father suffers a stroke and is abandoned by his new wife. Erin goes to Oregon to care for her father at his beloved cottage by the sea, where she deals with feelings of betrayal, loss, and responsibility while discovering that peoples motivations, including her own, might not be what they first seem. Erins faith is nicely incorporated as a character trait without seeming preachy, and the stoke victims frustration at not having control over his body and speech is touchingly portrayed. Unfortunately, a heavy-handed narrative lacking focus or details keeps the plot and characters from developing to full potential. (July) 2012 Reed Business Information

Editorial Reviews

"One of Gunn’s amazing talents is to describe the setting of her novel in such a way that it almost becomes a character in the tale. Readers will definitely want to visit the Oregon coast! The plot is incredibly relevant and truly shows how honoring one’s parents, even when they don’t seem to deserve it, is an excellent tenet to hold." —Romantic Times
“One of the lionesses of Christian fiction, at the peak of her prowess, pens her most ambitious—and personal—tale to date.” —Jerry B. Jenkins, bestselling author of The Left Behind Series, owner of Christian Writers Guild
“Every once in a while, a novelist writes a book that transcends all her others—because this one isn't merely a good story, it's a story wrung from the novelist's heart, every line squeezed from personal tears, pain, and struggle. Cottage by the Sea is that kind of book for my friend Robin Jones Gunn. I know her heart, and I know you will grow and be blessed by reading this book, her novel-from-the-heart.” —Angela Hunt, author of Five Miles South of Peculiar
“Robin writes with an honesty, heart, and skill that draws you deep into the center of her character's lives. Cottage by the Sea is some of the best work by one of our best writers.” —Bill Myers, author of The God Hater
“Cottage by the Sea is a lyrical work of great joy, heartache, and triumph. Robin Gunn's writing has never been stronger. The characters are vividly drawn, the challenges they face achingly real. Highly recommended.” —Davis Bunn, bestselling author
"In this tender story of letting go, Robin's words will minister to those with a hurting heart as emotional entrapments of guilt and unresolved issues are delicately detangled. You will smile through the tears and long to experience more of God's gentle grace in this Cottage by the Sea." —Margaret McSweeney, author of Aftermath: Finding Grace Through Grief
“Cottage by the Sea made me feel right at home. As usual Robin Jones Gunn has shared a meaningful story that both encourages and enlightens—definitely a journey you won’t want to miss. I can still smell the salty air.” —Melody Carlson, award-winning author of River's Song and The Four Lindas

I have read all of Robin Jones Gunn's Sisterchick novels and fell in love with her writing style through those books. She has such a wonderful way of taking you to the country in those novels and leaving you feel like you have been there and seen the same things that she has seen. Not many other writers leave me actually thinking that I've traveled the world! With that said, I was interested to see if this book would leave me with the same feeling. In my mind, I traveled to the cottage by the sea and traveled the highs and lows with Erin and her family. I struggled with my emotions of anger when Delores walked out on her husband when he was at his worst. I never thought that she might be going through something herself perhaps, so that was a surprise.

I felt as though I struggled with Erin on how to balance life in her new business, as a new mother-in-law, and then as a daughter to a father who has had a massive stroke and now can't speak and must be in her care. I could see the cottage in my head and picture her standing there and some of the feelings they must have felt. I've never been to a cottage by the sea, but if it's anything like my imagination has led me to believe, then I want to go!

This book, like most of hers, are light, fun books. This one deals with some heavy issues, but is still a book that is easy and fast to read and that you could easily read on the beach. In fact, she is one of my favorite authors to take along with me to the beach because of her style of writing. If you've read and liked any of her previous books, you'll want to read this one for sure. If you've never read anything by her, take a chance. You won't be sorry!

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I received this book free from Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Erin's dream of opening her own wedding planning business, The Happiest Day, is finally coming true when her step-mother calls and says that her father has had a stroke. She drops everything to help her dad. Balancing taking care of her dad, planning her son's wedding, running a successful business, and doing all the other normal mom and wife things, Erin quickly becomes overwhelmed. As she tries to mend her relationship with her father and step-mother, other relationships in her life spin out of control. Will she be able to find her "happiest day" in spite of all the turmoil in her life?

I've been a fan of Robin Jones Gunn since I read the Christy Miller series in middle school. I think this may be my favorite "adult" book of hers that I've read, though! Cottage by the Sea is a poignant story about relationships, forgiveness, and redemption. I loved how Robin explored the special relationships between mothers and daughters and fathers and daughters. At times I could see glimpses of my relationship with my own parents through the story. Erin's relationship with her husband was special as well. It was refreshing to read about a husband who faithfully and sacrificially loved his wife through a very difficult time. All of the relationships (Erin and her son, Erin and her best friend, her father and step-mother, etc.) in this book were so rich and deep. As a result, each scene was filled with emotion.

While this was one of the more emotional books by Gunn that I've read, she didn't leave me "down" for long. Instead, I ended the book full of hope and satisfied by a beautiful story. Longtime readers will also enjoy surprise encounters with some old friends. I loved every aspect of this book and will be adding it to my "keeper" shelf. [5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from Howard Books in exchange for my fair and honest review.

But the two friends aren't prepared for the cloud moving in to cover the sunny, successful start of their business. Erin's father, who lives in a small coastal Oregon community with his brusque, downright odd second wife, Delores, develops a medical problem that puts him in the hospital. Erin responds by rushing from Southern California to her father'sâ€”and oh, yeah, Delores'sâ€”cottage by the sea.

What greets Erin when she arrives sends her tumbling down a bewildering path to a different kind of happiest day. Her journey tosses her through highs and lows of hurt and healing, betrayal and renewal, wrong assumptions righted, and the brightest future one could ever hope for. All just around the corner, at the cottage by the sea.

I do not know about you but I like the sea. I like the sound of the waves, I like to watch the tide roll in or out, doesn't matter. Hanging out by a beach or shoreline is immensely calming for me. That's why I like the title "Cottage by the Sea". One, it is the sea and a cottage brings up the idea of a warm, cozy little place. Everything that Erin needs. Erin gets tasked with having to take care of her invalid father who has suffered two strokes and cannot speak. On top of that the stepmother decides to quit as she feels she cannot deal with the husband's incapacitation. So in that environment Erin is tossed and needs all the help from the sea and cottage that it can bring. Ms. Gunn has given us a marvelous story of forgiveness, reconciliation and the special relationship between a father and a daughter. Every one of her characters seem to come alive and it feels as if we are intruding on this family as we watch the story unfold before us. "Cottage by the Sea" is all about families and relationships and that is what makes this book a winner. I enjoyed this book a lot and am looking forward to more from Ms. Gunn.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from Wynn-Wynn Media for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."